> Maybe you're having problems being convinced since you're well off> enough to have a vehicle to take you where you need to go. Many> people in the area are poor and probably had no way to move themselves> and their families out of there. I'm not sure why you're assuming> that there are enough cars in New Orleans to evacuate everyone.

To me, the logistics of the evacuation should've been first considered
by local officials, then help requested from the Feds if facilities
were inadequate. That is, the local politicians should know their own
community best as to transport options -- who can get out on their own,
who will need help, who won't want to go. (I remain wondering if many
people remained by choice.)

Anyway, the local government would then line up transit and school
buses, something they as local leaders would be more familiar with and
have the authority to commandeer. They would know the neighborhoods
best to arrange the best staging points (using logical central points
instead of just points taken from a map.)

John Hines wrote:

> I have concerns with Bush's personal response to this disaster, which> threatened thousands, as well as a third of our energy supply (from> the gulf), when it is compared to his response to the single life of> Terry Schavio.

I very much disagreed with his involvement with the Schavio situation.
But that is irrelevent here.

That's one of the things that bothers me. The federal response to New
Orleans should be looked at only in terms of other disasters, not other
Federal projects or policies.